Improvement in machines for tapping pipes under pressure



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE JOHN MILLER, OF CAMBRIDGEPORT,MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES F' OR TAPPING PIPES UNDER PRESSURE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 184,686, dated November21, 1876; application filed April 24, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MILLER, of Gambridgeport, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Machines for Tapping Pipesunder Pressure; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, wh ch will enable others skilled in the art towhich it pertains to make and use the same, reference bein g had to theaccompanying drawing, and to.

the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

In such drawing, Figure 1 denotes a side elevation of a machineconstructed in accordance with my invention, the same being representedas applied to a main or pipe. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, and Fig. 3 alongitudinal section, of the same. Fig. 4 is a top view of the case, andFig. 5 is a top view of the sliding valve or spindle carrier.

My invention has reference to that class of machines for tapping tubesor pipes containing water, steam, gas, or other fluid under pressure, inwhich the power and mechanism used to drill the hole and cut the threadmay also be employed-to screw in the cock without moving or adjustingthe case of the apparatus.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective machinein which sundry defects incident to the construction and working ofmachines of this character as heretofore existing are remedied; and myinvention consists, first, in the arrangement of the sliding plate(carrying the combined drill and tap and the stop-cock spindles) withinthe case, andon the under surface of the cap-plate thereof, so that theliquid contained in the case, instead of forcing the spindle-carrieraway from the opening or, aperture in the case, and requirin gset-screws or other external appliances to preserve it in impingementwith the opening, (as is the case when the sliding carrier is i the holehas been bored, and thereby prevents any issue of the fluid through theaperture in the top of the case, as is liable to result when the slideris disposed on the top of the case, such issue producing great annoyanceor 'serious inj ury to the operator; and, besides, when the slider isdisposed on the top plate of the case, and confined thereto byset-screws, in order to effect the necessary adjustment of the sliderafter the hole has been bored, all the setscrews require to be removed,the slider next to be moved, and the set-screws again screwed down, suchrequiring a large expenditure of time, which my arrangement entirelyobviates; and my invention further consists in the combination, with theslider arranged within the case, of a screw for moving and adjusting thecarrier, such screw being arranged within the case, whereby themechanism is rendered more compact and less exposed to injury, and, atthe same time, enables the machine to be used in many places where suchcould not be employedwere the appliances used for moving the sliderdisposed wholly without the-case.

In the drawing, A denotes a metallic case,

having any suitable external form, the bottom thereof being formedconcave longitudinally, and having an opening through the same ofsufficient size to allow the tap and drill and the shank of thestop-cock to pass through and be moved longitudinally of the case therequisite distance, a packing of india-rubber or other suitable elasticmaterial being disposed around the aperture, and impinging against thepipe, serving to make a close joint therewith. Afflxed to the caseAis asta bars E terminates in a hook, c, to which one end of a chain is to beattached, such chains extending around the pipe, and having their otherends provided with rods having a male screw out upon their outer ends.These rods extend up through slots formed in the opposite ends of thebars E, and have nuts dconnected with them, by means of which themachine'may be firmly affixed to the pipeto be tapped. Within the top ofthe case A is a narrow oblong aperture, e. G is' a' slider, whichconsistsof a rectangular plate, having a length and width somewhatgreater than the aperture (2, such plate being disposed-on the undersurface of the cap-plate of the case A, and serving to close suchaperture, a packingpf, of leather or other suitable material,

being disposed around the mouth of the aperture, and resting against theupper surface of the plate G. g is a guide plate or projection,.whichextends up from the top of the plate Gr, flush with the top of the caseA, im-

pinging against the vertical faces of the aperture in the same. Theplate G has also guide-tubes h h cast on and extending up therefrom,which are provided with packing: caps 0 o, screwed on the same, thecaps, when screwed down, impinging against the top surface of the caseA, and serving to maintain the plate or slider Gin place when the machine is not under pressure.

H H are two spindles, which extend up through the said tubes and caps,each of such spindles having on its lower. end a socketed projection, 1,into one of which is screwed a tool, I, composed of a tap and drill, theother of such sockets receiving the threaded end or neck of a stop-cock,K, the lower end or neck of such stop-cock being threaded to be insertedinto the hole drilled in the pipe.

Affixed to one end of the plate or slider G, and extending downtherefrom, is a projection, m, having a rectangular chamber or openmg,m, made through the same, such serving to receive a square orrectangular nut, n, and allow the same a free vertical movement therein.A rod, L, provided with a wheel or lever on its outer end to rotate thesame, extends through a stuftingbox, 0, on the end of the case, and hasa male screw cut on its inner end,which operates with the nut n, andserves, when put in rotation, to move the spindle plate or carrier G, soas to bring the spindle of either the tool or the cock in an axial linewith the feed-screw, as may be desirable.

By this arrangement of the nut n within the chamber mviz., so as whocapable of vertical play therein-all binding action of the male andfemale screws is prevented, whether the packing be of a greater or lessthickness, or the slider be under pressure or not, the screw and nutbeing always maintained in the same plane.

I would remark that the upper end of each, of the spindles is formedsquare or rectangu lar to receive the eye of an operating wrenchratchet,the spindles being operated by the latter in the usual manner.

From the above it will beseen that when the machine is afliixed to a.main or pipe,

and such pipe has been drilled, the case A is i can escape from thelatter While the spindlecarrier is being moved to bring the cook-spin-.dle into coincidence with the operating feedscrew, the pressure of thefluid tending to insure a perfectly-tight joint between the carrier-andthe aperturein-the case. i i

The operation of my improved machine is asfollows: If we suppose theapparatus to be secured to a pipe by means of the chains, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, we first move the spindle carrier by turning the screw Lso as to bring the spindle carrying the tool I into a vertical line withthe feed-screw. A ratchetwrench of the ordinary kind isnext to beapplied to the upper end of the spindle, when, by operating the ratchetand the feed-screw in the usual manner, the hole will be drilled in thepipe, and a screw cut in. the same. This having been effected, theaction of the feed-screw and the ratchet is to be reversed until thetool I is withdrawn. from the hole.

By next reversing the movement of the screw L the spindle carrying thestop-cock is brought into coincidence with the axis of the feedscrew,and the ratchetwrench is next to be applied to the top of the latterspindle, when, by the combined forward movements of the said wrench andfeedscrew, the stopcock may be moved downward, and its lower threadedneck screwed into the hole in the pipe. This having been effected, byreversing the action of the feed-screw and. wrench, the socketcd end ofthe spindle carrying the cock may be unscrewed from the cock, when, byremoving the chains, the apparatus may be removed from the pipe.

Having described the construction and op? eration of my invention, whatI claim. is as follows:

1. In a machine for tapping pipes under. pressure, the case A andstationary frame 0 (J O, carrying feed-screw D, in combinationi with thesliding plate G g, carrying spindles H H, when the said plate isarranged within the case A so as to be packed by the pressure of thefluid, substantially as and for the pur-;

pose set forth.

2. In a machine for tapping pipes under pressure, in which the slidingspindle-carrier is arranged within the case, and so as to be packed bythe pressure of the fluid, the operatingscrew L, arranged and combinedwith the said carrier and case, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing. as my own invention 1 aflix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MILLER. 3

Witnesses:

F. P. HALE, F. O. HALE.

